


Meeting Alice

by flyingisabetterwordforfalling (FlyingFalling)



Series: In Wonderland [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Adopted Children, Alec Lightwood Feels, Alec Lightwood-centric, Alternate Universe - This World Inverted (Shadowhunters TV), Canon Bisexual Character(s), Canon Gay Character, Clary Fray & Isabelle Lightwood Friendship, Everybody Lives, F/M, Family Feels, First Meetings, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Implied Relationships, M/M, Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood First Meet, One Big Happy Family, Protective Siblings, Simon Lewis & Alec Lightwood Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-08 12:31:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7757983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyingFalling/pseuds/flyingisabetterwordforfalling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even growing up together did not help him getting over his perfectionism, and all of them knew Alec would verbally wring their necks should they act like that, being as childish as now, at the party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The boy runs around the living room, trying to hide from his older brother, but the other is still faster than him; scooping him up, throwing him over his shoulder and carrying him back to the dining room. The older boy's suit is wrinkling up but he simply does not care as his brother chuckles and tries to tickle him in revenge.

In the end it is Alec who has to get the two of them, glaring at the one who, in his opinion, should know better. Jonathan just sticks out his tongue, which makes Max laugh even harder. The youngest of their family is still getting used to Alec being even more overprotective than usual of him, now that there is another sibling in their family. Another adopted, this time actually adopted, sibling that is.

Izzy had vanished a few hours ago, all of them know she left to get ready for the party and Alec had asked his other siblings to help him finish the last details -which simply meant he would chose their suits and everything they should wear, knowing they trust him to choose their outfits for them. Jonathan, Max as well as the never officially adopted Jace -due to his parents being very much alive, but him spending almost more time at one of his best friend's houses than his own- were not exactly happy to be scolded by Alec, but they wanted him to be happy and all of them knew how important the evening was to him. 

Even growing up together did not help him getting over his perfectionism, and all of them knew Alec would verbally wring their necks should they act like that, being as childish as now, at the party. Therefore Max had tried to get his older brother to loosen up, and just look forward to the evening. The youngest Lightwood knew Alec and Jonathan still had to get used to now living together, after their parents had finally told them they were dating and had moved in together.

They had never talked about it, but it had been Isabelle who had asked her parents, Robert and Maryse to get a divorce, knowing they were best friends but did not love each other more than that, even though they had three children together.  
For exactly that reason it had not been a surprise when, just months after their amicably divorce Robert had first hesitantly come out as bisexual to his kids, and just after that announced he was now dating Michael Wayland, his best friend since childhood. 

The whole family had been kind of shell-shocked when Alec was the first one to react after that statement, bursting out laughing at his father's choice of words. Still laughing, tears running down his cheeks he explained he had already known for so long, because he had to listen to Jonathan's rants about how cheesy their fathers were in trying to hide their actual relationship. Jonathan and Alec had never been the closest of friends, but shared family dinners, always being the oldest children at company parties had brought the two of them closer. 

Jace had simply laughed as his best friend had almost ripped his head off when he told him he would wear another colour than the one Alec wanted him to wear, to match his girlfriend's dress. He had been as stubborn as always and knowing he would meet his girlfriend's parents, or rather her dad, Jace had told Alec as much as he loved him he intended to impress Mr. Morgenstern and not his best friend or the other guests.

Still, Alec smiled when Jace put on the blue shirt Clary had given to him, even without saying a single word about it he knew it was meant for her boyfriend. And Jace had still tried to argue, which ended with Max running out of the room. Shouting dramatically he could not take their bickering anymore and that he was the only sane person left in the house. 

Eventually Clary had come over, to meet up with Izzy. Alec was still trying to calm down, and also to get Jace out of the closet. The other still insisted, while screaming through the wooden walls, it was bad luck seeing the other person before you were meant to see them.

"You are not getting married, come on Jace. Come out!"

"You're not my type!" deadpanned Jace from where he was hiding. 

It was then, that the front door was opened yet another time. Robert and Michael had returned from their walk and upon hearing their dispute, escaped into another section of the house. Only stopping to note all of them had to be ready in less than half an hour. 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- 

Hours later, Alec has no idea how the others had managed to look as amazing as they did. After all that chaos he was proud of all of them and all to gladly greeted Simon, who was still jumpy around him ever since Alec found out about him and his sister getting more interested in being a couple rather than just friends. Alec actually likes him, and he had known about them being together for months by now and secretly wants to grin every time one of them mentions Star Wars and the other simply starts blushing. 

By now Simon spends almost as much time at his family's home as Clary and Jace. He feels as if he has even more siblings by now than he actually does. Now he is looking for one or rather two of them, hopes Max and Jonathan -despite their age gap, the perfect duo of trouble makers- have not spiked the cold punch. Out of the corner of his eyes he sees Clary with Jace, Isabelle with Simon and is happy for all of them. It is then that he notices a young man, around his age apparently trying to crash the party. He must be the mysterious friend Isabelle wanted him to put on the list. It is almost as if he has seen his face somewhere before, he decides to allow him to come inside.

When he looks at him, nipping at his cup and trying his hardest to avoid meeting his eyes he secretly calls him Alice in his head even before he tells him his true name. He does not seem to belong here, having fallen through a rabbit hole, yet Alec cannot help feeling almost as if he is being drawn to the other man, wishing he would stay with him. He is not really surprised when he does not, and thus Alec frowns when he sees him with Clary, the two of them disappearing together.

It is not his business, but Clary is one of his closest friends and so is Jace. At the one hand he cannot just watch Clary leave with another man, but at the other it is not his relationship and his friends should know what to make of it. When Jace rushes past him, following his girlfriend and the stranger he turns around, turning to the other guests, a part of him hoping it had not been a mistake to invite the stranger in.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- 

After a while, the three of them return, Jace looking ruffled, but having Clary by his side and holding his hand as if she never wants to let go of it again and the stranger a few steps behind him. Whatever happened in the basement, he has a different stride to his steps now. His whole posture seems to have changed and he looks at the young couple as if he has seen as ghost hovering behind their backs. 

Alec approaches him for the second time, now slightly nervous and as he looks at the stranger, even his eyes seem to have changed somehow. He knows it is not possible, but they seem to glow with a faint yellowish glint, reminding him of the eyes of a cat. 

"Alexander.", is everything the man says, sounding slightly surprised and to Alec it seems as if he sings his name, he cannot breathe for a mere second. All of a sudden he is nervous, his hands slightly shaking, but he is still calm enough to utter a single question.  
"Wanna get a drink sometime?"

Magnus smiles and Alec simply wants to see that smile more often, wanting to be the reason for it.

"I'd love that."

Alec stands there, inches from the one he wants to get to know better, wanting to say so much more. Wanting to be charming, and his usual flirty self is just gone, it left him the moment Magnus said as much as his name.

"Right.", he just wants to facepalm and leave, but Magnus is still smiling at him, watching him with those beautiful eyes, without thinking further about it he tells him how pretty they are. And Magnus blushes, even the tips of his ears are getting slightly red at the compliment and it is then, that Alec does leave. Blushing profusely.


	2. Chapter 2

Jonathan almost fell over from laughing too hard, when Alec finally admitted to have run away without thinking further about it, when a beautiful stranger had barely even smiled at him. Now he regretted having told his adopted brother about it before anyone else -or, for that matter, having told anyone at all. At the same time he knew he would never live it down if Izzy or Clary, or even worse Jace or Simon, would have found out about him abandoning the stranger, and to make matters worse, a rather cute but at the same time strangely handsome one.  
  
By now the last guests were leaving and Magnus was nowhere to be seen, and if he was honest to himself Alec was slightly glad about it. After he had mentioned his name Jonathan had glanced at him, snickering about Alec being bewitched, having fallen under the stranger's spell and so on. Still, he had declared together they would find him between all these people, before the other had eventually disappeared into the crowd to find the magician -in the end, they did not find him.  
  
It seemed he had vanished without a trace and after the last official guests and business partners had left Alec as well as his siblings helped the rest of the staff clean up, most of them ignored Izzy and Simon still dancing around the hall or Jonathan still cracking jokes whenever he got near Alec. He simply ignored him and looked over to his sister, dancing with her boyfriend. As her older brother, Alec did not dare interrupt their special moment, he also knew Izzy would make him regret it if he did and thus he let them celebrate their decision of -finally- moving in together in peace.  
  
He then watched his stepfather for a while as the older man carried Max outside, to the waiting car where his father was already waiting for them. They owned one of the most respectable companies in New York and still everyone worked together as equals, Alec and his siblings did not care that they did not have to help the others, still they wanted to, knew it was the right thing to do. Not only because most of their fathers' employees had become, after working many years with and for them, personal acquaintance as well as friends.  
  
Most of them had actually met due to their parents working together. Clary's father, manager of his own company, for example, had just recently signed a contract that would once and for all ensure wide-ranging cooperation with the Institute. Alec thought about how he had met almost all his friends during parties such as this one. He remembered being jealous of Clary, the as he had imagined her back then to be, quirky little redhead who most boys their age had had a crush on. Even Jace and Simon, who seemed to have fought over her affection until they realized she had liked Izzy most for almost a year, and after that all children in their little group had gotten closer, had almost even become best friends.

Remembering the other boy's, by now young men's, bickering Alec could hardly help the faint smirk as he saw the barely ten-year-olds in his mind. Now they were mocking each other, seemingly as immature as they had been all these years ago: Clary was tickling Simon as he called something after Jace who tried to carry a chair across the room -with Isabelle still sitting on it, clinging to the armrest for dear life, her cheeks red from giggling. The way he carried both, Izzy and the chair, did not actually seem all too steady and still, Jace somehow managed to succeed if his triumphant smile was anything to go by.  
  
When they finally left almost all their parents were long gone, only Michael had come up again and said good bye to the younger ones because Robert and him would have to leave in the morning to attend an important meeting and they wanted to make sure Max was home at bedtime. He had added the youngest of their family was almost asleep by now anyway and still refused to go to bed. Simon had declared he would drive the others home so that their parents would not have to wait for them and sheepishly grinned when Michael thanked him for taking care of his children, especially Isabelle.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"You're such a grumpy old man, Alec." Izzy lay beside him on his bed, her legs dangling over the side, as her older brother rolled around to face her. In fact, he rolled around to let her see his raised brow -his universal answer for a lot of his sister's statements- and she lightly smacked him with one of the many throw pillows which had been a gift from Jace and Simon, for his eighteenth birthday. Each one imprinted with a sarcastic quote.  
  
"How do you lose a person? Alec, seriously how? And someone like him, he should be recognizable enough... his face is plastered all over every single front page of the tabloids. Even Clary's uncle was on TV, in one of his commercials."  
  
"What if I wanted to get away from him?" Alec muttered as he turned around to lie on his stomach, and only slightly to not have to look at her any longer. Which he did for about ten seconds, before he was laying on his side again. He felt something, almost nagging, deep inside his chest, telling him over and over again Magnus was not who he thought him to be. Maybe he was not even interested in him at all, maybe he was not gay, or even bi but straight and had only come to see Clary and had left, bitterly disappointed about her being in a committed relationship already of which she apparently had not told him sooner. Maybe he had just been nice when he had flirted with him...  
  
His sister brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, and snorted before she rolled around, stopping his train of thoughts for a while, as she propped herself up on her arms and laid her head onto them. She watched him from the side, her teasing smile, however laced with her never-ceasing fondness, was answer enough. ''You did not, Alec. You were afraid of your own reaction and ran.'' She seemed to say just with her look and smile without even having to say the words at all.  
  
"Clary wouldn't tell me how she got to know Bane, but I think she has his number. I can ask her to give it to you, of course, only if you want it?"  
  
Alec grumbled, hiding his face in his pillow, only to look up, when he heard the click of a mobile camera or rather a photo being taken with said camera.  
  
"This one's for Clary. I've called it 'Alec the Grumpy Cat'. The only difference: Grumpy Cat is actually cute while you're just grumpy."  
  
He snarled an answer into his pillow, not bothering to lift his head and did not move, when she patted his head. Something he had done when they were younger and she had been the one who needed some words of comfort. Neither of them said anything, when she grabbed for one of his hands, eventually laced her fingers with his and just lay there with her brother, watching over him.  
  
They talked about everything, knew when words were too much, or when they were not needed but right now she just wanted to let him know that he for once could let down his guard, that he could admit having developed a sudden crush on a total stranger. Isabelle would find him for Alec, just like he had found Simon for her... well; he had not actually found him. He had almost struck the poor boy during archery training when they were children, and she had to hold both boy's hands to stop them from fighting afterwards, that was how she had first met Simon, but that was a different story...

 


	3. Chapter 3

Izzy had almost knocked Alec out of his bed some time later, when another person had sat down next to her, waking her up instantly. She grunted and glared at Max, when she finally realized who it was without any of the lights on, while still trying to feel blindly for her glasses, which lay on her brother's nightstand.  
Isabelle almost hissed at her younger brother, and he grasped for her hand, silently almost as if he were afraid to also wake his oldest sibling. Who slept as though he waited for true love's kiss to wake him from his slumber.  
   
Once they stood outside Alec's room and had closed the door behind them, Max shifted from one foot to another, looking down onto them, thus hiding his face from Izzy who crossed her arms in front of her chest.

She knelt down, and then lightly touched his chin, tickling it a bit, knowing he was ticklish there and waited for his eyes to meet hers. He glared at her, not the way Alec usually did, but Isabelle knew he without knowing it mimicked his older brother, a fact she found utterly adorable. 

"Church is being a little... weird again... He kept mewing like a siren and I couldn't sleep because of that. I wanted to ask if I could sleep in your room, but you weren't there and Jonathan's room was also empty... I found him sleeping in the living room, he seemed to have fled from Church again but my room is next to the library, next to where Church usually sleeps."

Izzy stroked the boy's cheek, her gaze soft when she realized what he actually meant even though he rambled on about their family cat.

"You know how that fluffy ball of rage can get, he hates change and most people to be honest and even he seems to already know that I am going to move out sometime soon. He is either celebrating or upset. Still, I will not be gone then, you do not have to panic Max, I'll still be there for you and even that grouchy cat of ours."

"Are we still talking about Church, or-?"

She ruffled his hair, a faint smile on her lips. "Mostly, I love all of you and you don't have to threat to stake Simon anymore, where did you even get the idea that he was a vampire?"

"He's pale, even more so than Jonathan and Jonathan never goes outside unless he has to and he knows so many things from different centuries. He likes old stuff and things I've mostly never heard of. And I don't think he's a vampire... anymore."

Izzy almost snorted, and got more comfortable, sitting cross-legged in front of Max, who sat down as well. All of them knew things Max had never heard of. "You don't think that he's a vampire or that he was and isn't anymore?"  
   
Max slightly blushed, but nodded and almost stage whispered when he spoke next. "And he told me he hates Edward Cullen, and would love you longer than anyone ever could, even more than his own blood..."

"He is just trying to be romantic and as corny as ever, you know how we tell each other instead of just saying 'I love you' and 'I love you too', rather 'I love you' and 'I know'?", Izzy waited for him to nod again, "That's our way of being romantic and showing each other how much we care, and he knows how much I love the gory movies you are not allowed to watch yet...?", Max actually made a face at that and slightly shuddered, "Him trying to work vampires into flirting with me is just Simon, well being Simon. He does not like vampires all that much, in fact I am certain he does not even like movies with them all that much either, but he watches them with me anyway, because he knows it makes me happy."

"And he loves you? Like Dad loves Michael?"

Izzy nodded. "At least I hope he does."

"He won't leave you like Mum and Dad left each other?"

Izzy looked into her brother's eyes, saw how much he feared having to witness experiencing another break-up between people he cared about. There had always been so many children and teenagers in their house, by now most of the oldest ones were considered something close to family without them actually being related and Max especially loved Simon and Clary -who even after years of knowing him always gave him new mangas he could read and he read every single one, especially the ones about creatures and heros as well as heroines having to rescue whole kingdoms. Even for a child Max showed his extremely vivid imagination and loved everything fantasy-related, sometimes even suspected other people may in fact be slightly different than all the others, even having special powers. On the other hand he still believed in the tooth fairy and if the right person asked him about it still swore he had once seen a tiny fairy dancing between the flowers in their garden.  
   
"Not in the near future, no. You don't have to worry about me, kiddo."  
   
Then she heard it, a shrieking sound, which came closer and closer. With a thud something landed next to them and Izzy stared at the cat in front of her as if he had flung himself at her, which he in fact had done, at least to some extent.

"There's nothing here, Church. Whatever kind of demons you were staring at on the ceiling this time, there's nothing there." Izzy told the cat and got another mew as an answer, having grown up with the pet in their house she could have sworn every single one of their actual and extended family were able to decipher the cat's mostly angry seeming sounds.

"It's not you I worry about, it's Simon." Max told her and tried to pet Church, who simply turned around, showing him his backside and seemed to stare at him from the side.

"I love you, little brother."

"Do you try to tickle me if I say 'I know'?"

"Go to sleep, Max."  
   
Max did, but turned around when she was almost out of earshot. 

"What about the others? What about Alec? He's the oldest, he told me once family was everything and that he wanted to stay here... he lied, didn't he?"  
"He would never, he loves us. But one day even he will find the person he has been looking for."

"And he'll leave then?"

Max was leaning against his door now, looking at her, ignoring the distance between them. He somehow managed to speak faint enough not to wake the entire house.  
   
"Maybe, but family doesn't end when one person moves out, you know how Mum is still our mum, even though she doesn't life with us anymore? It's the same with all of us, we'll all still be there for and love one another. -And now I'll go and make sure the library is demon-free so our drama queen of a cat can sleep in peace. Good-night, Max."  
   
"Night, Izzy."

Church's head whipped around, seemingly in alarm when she spoke and Izzy got up at last, the cat trailing behind her almost immediately. 

When she had actually made sure everything was alright she left Church at his usual sleeping place, of course not without telling him that in all the years he had lived with them not a single demon had come into their house – or whatever else cats seemed to see in the dark or on the wall when no one else was looking, there had never been anything expect for flies and even then Church was too lazy to even try to attempt to snatch them. Well, sometimes Izzy thought about her exes being indeed not human but even Meliorn, as much of a liar as he had been, and even though he had lied to her so many times, and used her trust in him for his own benefits, he was human just as much as her. Lying was human. 

And she still was not entirely sure about her mother being okay with all of them, she still did not seem all too happy about her former husband now being with another man but she would never tell Max about it. Their mother was not against them being together, however Izzy thought she could at least understand her mother's looks when she visited and saw Robert with Michael. When Simon had dated another girl for a while after the two of them had gotten closer in their teens, and decided it would never work Izzy had felt as if he had been cheating on her even though they had not even been together at that time. Not anymore, or not exactly yet. 

Their relationship had been complicated and sometimes even more than just plain difficult, but he was worth it and she had seen something or at least the tiniest glint of that emotion in her brother's eyes when he had told her about the stranger, who had only talked to him for a few minutes and who despite that somehow had gotten under his skin.

Whoever this Magnus Bane was, she would have to ask Clary for his number and then would contact him to find out if he was not just some trickster, playing with cards and seemingly magic, while fooling people and still getting their money.  
   
She hoped with all her heart he was not, because she had never seen Alec being that charmed by a man he barely even knew. Knowing her brother he usually needed some time to consider a person worth talking to, or even interesting enough to even talk to at all, which most people would consider snobbish, rude and even arrogant but she had met so many people in her life wanting to get to know a member of her family, just for their last name's sake and being their parent's children she knew how he felt about meeting people who seemed to be interested.


	4. Chapter 4

When Alec got up he did not have to look, knew his sister was gone, when she had gotten up he had actually been awake for a while before dozing off again. He just barely remembered having heard Max's voice and getting hit in the shoulder, and usually he did not wake up when someone smacked him in his sleep. Having little or rather younger siblings come into his room when they were afraid of a thunderstorm and too embarrassed to admit it to their parents had not been uncommon when all of them had been younger, or in Max's case even younger children. 

By now it would be more than slightly uncomfortable having all of them sleep in one bed, huddled close together to find comfort in not being alone with their fears. For a long time his sister and by then still even more childlike baby brother had been the only friends he had and trusting people to even sleep in the same room as him had cost Alec a long time to get used to. Even with Clary, Simon and even the boys he had grown up with since he could remember: Jonathan and Jace had even than as children usually slept elsewhere because Alec had gotten too nervous around so many people. 

Now he greeted Simon, albeit slightly questioning why he was there and even still in his pajamas when the other got out of the bathroom. That he even wore his own pajamas when staying overnight showed how often he was here in the first place.

“Morning, haven't slept all that much as well, haven't you?” 

Simon yawned and Alec shook his head a little, thought better of it and answered. 

“I have, thanks for asking. Where did you sleep, by the way? The air bed was leaking the last time you stayed overnight...”

Simon went red in the face. 

“I wouldn't know, I slept in your sister's room...”, at Alec grinning at him, he hastily added, “Not like that. ...Last night she wanted to check on one of you and cleared her room for us, Clary, Jace and me. -It was you, wasn't it? Everything's okay?”

Alec patted Simon's shoulder at his worried tone, who slightly winced at the touch, still visibly embarrassed even though it was no secret he was seeing Alec's younger sister. How could it be. They were friends and Alec was not that kind of guy who threatened his friends for being interested in his sister or even told them to stay away from her. Should anyone ever try to break her heart Alec knew she could and would handle it herself.  
   
“I just thought you left after dropping us off here. Now we'll have to make breakfast for everyone as it seems. Care to help me?”

“Me helping you in the kitchen is still way better than Jace or Izzy trying to cook. Well, Izzy at least studies cookbooks while Jace just throws random stuff together.”

“Yeah, nobody knows how he managed to get hired as a barista, he mainly improvises...”

“I've heard that, you illiterate ignoramuses, it's called cooking by instinct.” 

“Good morning, dearest Jace. Isn't it too early for you to use such polished language?”

“Shut up, mundie.”

“Still calling me that, I see. What's it with you and using that as an insult? You're as mundane as I am!”

“At least I look better!”

“Shut up, the both of you. It's indeed too early for that.” Alec rolled his eyes and pointed in the direction of the kitchen and then at the other two, “You and you, breakfast, now.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
   
In the end, they found Clary chatting with Jonathan, the two already dressed properly and not just in shirts, boxers or their pajamas like the rest of them and rummaging through the cupboards, while preparing breakfast already. Or at least Jonathan was, who never seemed to find anything even though he knew the interior of the room better than even Alec who only cooked, decently, if he had to which meant all the time when he tried to slightly improve his sister's dishes. Clary was sitting on the counter, a cup in her hands. 

She lightly waved at them with one hand when the group came closer, Simon still moving in his rather acceptable impression of a zombie, even one of the undead would move faster than he was, and looking at her as if she was his savior, when she handed him her cup of coffee. Thus showing she had been waiting for them already and not indented to drink it herself at all.  
   
“Morning boys, breakfast's almost ready. Your fathers left about an hour ago and Izzy's out to get rolls, or bread because some people got up too late and now the best baked goods are probably sold out already....”

“Morning sunshine.” Jace turned to face the others behind him, “Gentleman, meet my girlfriend the ever charming Clarissa Morgenstern, always ready to declare war when she doesn't get her food.”

Alec moved past him, wishing Clary a good morning as well, before sitting down next to her on the counter, and letting her put her head on his shoulder when he brushed her hair out of her eyes.

“And when sleepy loves my brother more than me.”

His girlfriend as well as Alec answered at the same time, both smiling fondly at Jace. 

“You know I do, my dear.” “We're not brothers, Herondale.”

Jace sunk down on the floor, theatrically clutching at his chest.

“How could you hurt and betray me like that? -Simon, Jonathan tell me you, at least, still love me.”

“Nah.”, came without the slightest hesitation from Jonathan who was now standing in front of the stove, stirring eggs in a large pan, and when Jace looked up at Simon the other just shrugged.

“How. Could. You?”, Jace sighed, then got up as if nothing ever happened and without asking began to set the table. 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- 

After most of them had calmed down a bit and sat around the table a little later Alec leaned over to Clary, trying to ask her for the stranger's number without all the other's noticing what they were talking about, he had been teased about the stranger enough as it was. She looked at him strangely. 

“What stranger?”

“What about the one you wanted to be put on the list?”

At that she just frowned at him as if she thought he tried to make a joke she did not consider funny at all. She suddenly looked down, staring at Church as if the cat had all of a sudden grown another head.

“That's not your cat.” Clary stated, bewildered. 

“He is, Clary, Church has been here since I was a child, he's actually older than me, but you know that already. Don't tell me you don't recognize Church?”

Her voice was slightly shaking when she spoke next. 

“But he belongs to Magnus. He's his cat, just like Chairman Meow.”

“A minute ago you didn't know who I was talking about. Clary, you're acting strange. Is everything alright?”

Clary went pale, fumbling for her phone. The others had stopped eating, watching their conversation with uneasy glances. She did not seem to notice, just scrolled down, frantically staring at her display and handed him her phone when she apparently found what she had been looking for.

“I know him, Jace already asked me about him. Even though I don't, as strange as it is I seem to forget him every time someone asks me about him without bringing him to mind again. I don't know what happened or why everyone but me seems to remember him but something's off about him-”  
“Clary, you're clearly still drowsy. He sure seemed a bit strange but not as bad as you are describing him right now.” It had been Jace who had interrupted her.  
   
“You even disappeared together. Why?”, he stated after, sounding questioning, then almost angry as if he had just recalled that little detail.  
   
“Where's your new necklace?”, was all Izzy asked, looking at Clary's neck as if it were the most important question of all. Max, Simon and Jonathan just looked down onto their plates, pretending to not be there at all. 

Clary just shook her head, a calm expression on her face.

“Maybe you're right. I think the necklace used to belong to him, as he told me, the gemstone had been a family heirloom of his. I've contacted him weeks ago when I found a newspaper article about it. I'm sorry, I was just spooked because his cat almost looks like Church.” 

She shook her head, embarrassed and played with one of her curls. 

“The last few days have been rather rough, I had too much to do, to draw and work on commissions that just kept coming in and haven't slept as long as I did tonight in weeks. Just ignore me, guys. Maybe I just keep remembering both his name and face without associating it with one another or I'm just thinking about totally different people. You know how I get with stage magic ever since that strange magician hypnotize me for his performance. Magnus is probably alright.”

“...Or an actual magician?”

“Sure Max, of course he is.”

Max only grunted annoyed at the tone in Jonathan's voice. He had seen the stranger for a very short amount of time, still he felt something was different, the way he walked was different from all the people Max knew. His oldest brother's reaction showed as well how different the man was, when even Alec, who never had had an actual serious relationship, reacted the way he did at the mere mentioning of his name.  
 


End file.
